I often get asked, “How do you do it all?”
I run a website, mother 4 children, aim to exercise daily, teach an early morning teen youth class and have a photography business, while a lot of my life all plays out in social media. Sharing what I do is a big part of my business, but today, I’m here to tell you today how I do it…and I’m delighted to partner with Yoplait to share these “Mom On” moments.
What most people don’t realize is that I actually flinch inside every time people ask me how I do it all. It’s almost a sucker punch to the gut, because deep down, I KNOW I don’t do it all. I know I mess up, I know I’m not what I want to be, and that question is a painful reminder to me. It also hurts me because I know that behind that question is often a mother struggling (just like me) to do “all the things,” and they perceive that I’ve got the answer. I try my best to live happy and share the joy on my website. I STRIVE to be my best, and share my goals. But that doesn’t mean I always meet them. Oh no, I don’t always meet them. In fact, I often don’t. I try to be open about that, too, while still remaining positive. It’s a tricky balance. But I never want anyone to think that I’ve got it all together, because that’s just dishonest!
So today I wanted to share a fun video that Yoplait put together. While watching it, think about what it is that YOU struggle with, or feel judged by.
Ok, isn’t that hilarious? I love the moment in the beginning with the mom nursing in the park. I nursed 4 children for an entire year each, and it wasn’t until my 4th that I felt it was ok to nurse in public with a blanket on (that they always tried to pull off). In fact, I remember with my oldest, being out to dinner with my parents and husband, and banishing myself to sit on the toilet in the stall of the bathroom, fully dressed, for 30 minutes while I nursed my child. It just didn’t seem acceptable to nurse in public. If I could talk to my younger self, I’d tell her not to worry about the side glances, people need to get over it!
And yep, I’m a BIG FAN of my yoga pants, too! The only problem is that I need them in more colors.
There is just so much judgement when it comes to mothering, and we all need to cut ourselves and each other some slack.
So you want to know what I say to people when another mom asks me how I do it all? My house is a mess most of the time.
Every time, I end up leaving said mom STUNNED, and I kinda love it! While they may seem shocked and almost baffled to hear this information, I’m perfectly happy to share it, even though it was a major insecurity of mine for a long time. Time to Mom On.
Seriously though, I’m not an organized person (do you see many cleaning tips/organization posts on my site? No, no you don’t). But that’s not to say we don’t do our best. My kids are responsible for jobs like
I feel like I’ve got certain things in place that would warrant a clean house, such as my kids being responsible for all the jobs like:
- sweeping
- vacuuming
- dishes
- bathrooms
- garbage
Does that mean it gets done without nagging 1 billion times? NOPE! Tell me THAT secret, I’d love to hear.
We also have rules like:
- no eating out of the kitchen
- clean up after yourselves
- throw packaging away after eating
But does that mean they do that? NO!
Some of the mess I can easily blame on my kids either not following rules or not doing their chores, but honestly, sometimes I’m not the best example. And I beat myself up about it a lot.
See that mess in the background (and foreground) that I carefully cropped for the above picture? I’ve gotten good at that!
And here is a little peek into my office. So colorful and pretty and….cluttered. And look at me, eating food outside of the kitchen (I’m enjoying my favorite Yoplait Custard flavor: blueberry –caramel is a close second).
I’m enjoying my favorite Yoplait Custard flavor: blueberry (caramel is a close second). A full list of Yoplait flavors can be found here: Yoplait products.
So, although my kids will likely keep sneaking food out of the kitchen, and I’ll find packaging and wrappers in various places, and my desk will be messy, I’ll continue to Mom On, because that’s what mothering is all about: Doing the best I can, picking my battles, and continuing to love myself and my kids despite falling short most of the time.
Disclosure: I’m delighted to partner with Yoplait, but all opinions are my own. A full list of Yoplait flavors can be found here: Yoplait products.
